Colored fabrics are used in the manufacture of many types of garments worn by consumers. Unfortunately the colors can fade over time upon exposure of the garments to sunlight, resulting in a less attractive appearance. This fading of colored fabrics is especially a problem when garments are dried outdoors after washing, and with garments such as sport clothes that are intended for outdoor use.
A variety of soil release agents are known for use in the laundering of garments. The soil release agents typically work by depositing on fabrics and changing their surface characteristics, making them more resistant to certain types of soils. For example, some soil release agents deposit on polyester fabrics changing their lipophilic/hydrophilic character, thereby making the fabrics less prone to fix lipophilic soils such as oils and greases.
However, while soil release agents have been known for their cleaning benefits, they have not been previously suggested for use in providing dye fading protection to fabrics.
It is an object of the present invention to provide dye fading protection to fabrics.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such dye fading protection by the use of certain kinds of soil release agents.
These and other objects are secured herein as will be seen from the following disclosure.